Sept. 25 ‘Girls In The Game Luncheon to celebrate women’s sports, 10th anniversary
September 22, 2025
The Columbus State University Department of Athletics will mark a decade of its female student-athletes’ success during its 10th-anniversary Girls In The Game Luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 25.
The annual program, which begins at 11:30 a.m. in the university’s Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center, recognizes a female student-athlete from each of Columbus State’s eight NCAA Division II women’s sports teams. All honorees receive a one-year academic scholarship and a specially designed Girls In The Game medallion.
This year’s class includes:
- Tennis: Annie Adams, a graduate student from Columbus, Ga., pursuing a master’s degree in business
- Basketball: Haelim Adle, a senior guard from Gainesville, Ga., majoring in biology
- Golf: Samantha Dewendt Morales, a sophomore from Dawsonville, Ga., majoring in business
- Track & Field: Deandra Downer, a senior runner and jumper from Loganville, Ga., majoring in health science
- Soccer: Anna LaBarbera, a senior from Demorest, Ga., majoring in history
- Cross Country: Anna Petallar, a sophomore from Columbus, Ga., majoring in biology
- Softball: Mary-Catherine “MC” Sorrell, a senior midfielder from Loganville, Ga., majoring in health science
- Cheer:Camdyn White, a sophomore from Columbus, Ga., majoring in nursing
“Girls In the Game is just one way we honor our Columbus State University student-athletes
for their dedication to their sport and for being scholars in the classroom,” said
Athletics Director Justin Hay (pictured). “This year’s class of well-deserving female student-athletes continues
a legacy of being champions in athletics, academics and life.”
Hughston Clinic is the presenting luncheon sponsor, and three-time Olympic medalist
DeeDee Trotter (pictured during her competitive Olympic era) will be the featured speaker.
Trotter, a dynamic presence in track and field, secured gold medals in the 4×400-meter relay at both the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Olympics and earned bronze in the individual 400-meter event in 2012. Her path exemplifies resilience and determination, serving as an inspiration to many overcoming challenges. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to athletics, Trotter was inducted into the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.
Following the luncheon, Trotter will host a “Train with an Olympian” track and field agility clinic at the university’s Walden Soccer Complex. The clinic is presented by local partners Coca-Cola United and John & Elizabeth Walden.
A limited number of luncheon tickets and clinic spaces may be purchased online. Individuals, businesses and organizations may also designate donations to the Girls In The Game scholarship endowment.
About Girls In The Game
Established in 2015, the Girls In The Game mission is to advance and support female student-athletes at Columbus State University, enabling them to reach their full potential academically and athletically while empowering them to become leaders in life. CSU recognized its first GITG class in 2019; since then, 62 female student-athletes have received scholarships.
The eight teams represented by the Girls In The Game program comprise the university’s 13 NCAA Division II sports teams and the nearly 300 student-athletes who, along with the Cheer program, compete as members of the Peach Belt Conference.
Main image: (left to right): Samantha Dewendt Morales, Annie Adams, Deandra Downer, MC Sorrell, Camdyn White, Anna Petallar, & Anna LaBarbera (Not pictured: Haelim Adle)
Media contact: Brian Evans, Assistant Sports Information and Media Relations Specialist, Department of Athletics, 706-580-3654 (cell), evans_brian@columbusstate.edu